Updating Agent for VMware (Virtual Appliance)

Update from the management server

This update method applies only to those virtual appliances that are registered on the management server. This method is preferable to the manual procedure described later in this section, because all configuration settings (local backup plans, centralized backup plans and group membership) related to the virtual machines managed by the agent will be preserved in this case.

Prerequisites

To perform operations described in this section, Acronis Backup Management Server uses a number of TCP ports:

• Ports 443 and 902 are used to access the vCenter Server and ESX(i) hosts.
• Port 9876 is used to access Agent for VMware (Virtual Appliance).

If the management server uses a custom firewall, ensure that this firewall allows outgoing connections to these ports. Windows Firewall is configured automatically by Acronis Backup.

If the traffic from the management server to the vCenter Server, the ESX(i) hosts, or the agents goes through a router or a similar network device, ensure that the device does not block this traffic.

No special configuration is required on the vCenter Server or the ESX(i) hosts.

To update the virtual appliances from the management server

1. Update the management console and the management server.
2. Connect the console to the management server.
3. In the Navigation tree, right-click the group that has the same name as the vCenter Server. If VMware vCenter integration is not enabled, right-click Virtual machines.
4. Click Update Agent for VMware.
5. Select the agents that you want to update. Agents that are already of the latest version are unavailable for selection.
6. Click Update Agent for VMware.

The virtual appliances will be updated; the agents' configuration settings will be preserved.

Manual update

Manual update of the virtual appliance involves installing a new appliance and deleting the old one. Use this method only if updating from the management server is not possible for some reason.

After manually updating the virtual appliance, you will have to re-create local backup plans that existed on the appliance.

To update the virtual appliance (VA) manually

1. Install and configure the new VA, as described in "Importing Agent for VMware (Virtual Appliance)".
2. Delete the old virtual appliance from the ESX(i) server.
3. [Optional] Re-create local backup plans that previously existed on the VA if you want to continue using them.
4. [Optional] Re-establish the machines' membership in dynamic groups that use the All VMs backed up by agent criterion. To do this, specify the updated VA as a criterion for the group.

   Details. The machines' membership in such dynamic groups is lost because the old VA is removed from the management server during update.

You do not need to re-add either static or dynamic custom groups to the centralized backup plans. As soon as the machines' membership in the groups is re-established, the appropriate backup plans will continue protecting the machines.